Mr Love and Mr Care
by 105ttt
Summary: Pancake Cookie visits his friend, Herb Cookie, while his brother is out for the day. After some Acorn Jelly shenanigans, Herb Cookie helps Pancake Cookie better understand the reasons behind his brother's occasional episodes of anger and insecurity as well as how Pancake Cookie can help his brother with his problems.


"HERBYYYYYYY!"

Herb Cookie looked up from the shelf in front of him and out the windows of his shop. Yup. Pancake Cookie was outside, heading right towards the shop, his arms spread out wide as if he were about to leap off the ground. Herb Cookie shook his head with a smile and walked over to the front door of the shop before opening it. He stood in the doorway as Pancake Cookie rushed to the shop as quick as his little feet would carry him. As if on cue, Herb Cookie held out his arms, and Pancake Cookie leapt into them, nearly causing Herb Cookie to fall over.

"You were running so fast, Pancake!"

"I'm excited to see you, Herby!" Pancake Cookie said as he nuzzled Herb Cookie's chest. Herb Cookie returned the favor by rubbing his head gently.

"I'm excited to see you too. What's up, little one?"

"Oh!" Pancake Cookie pulled away from Herb Cookie and threw his arms wide open again as if about to make a grand speech. "Bro is playing with Kiwi today, and he doesn't like it when I'm at the house alone, so he said to come play here until he was done playing with Kiwi. He thinks I'm 'too young to be home alone'," Pancake Cookie finished his sentence while doing air quotes and pouting, which made Herb Cookie chuckle.

"I think his reasoning has some truth to it."

"Herby! I can handle myself! I'm not a baby!"

"Maybe you're not a baby, but you are very young."

Pancake Cookie pouted again. "Hmph!"

"Anyway, Pancake, aren't you going to ask about something? Something importa-"

Pancake Cookie's face was beaming. "ACORN JELLIES?! DID YOU FIND SOME FOR ME?!"

Herb Cookie smiled and motioned for Pancake Cookie to follow him back into the shop. "Let's see, shall we?"

Pancake Cookie held Herb Cookie's hand as they walked through the shop. Herb Cookie could feel Pancake Cookie shaking with delight and muttering "Acorn Jellies! Acorn Jellies!" excitedly under his breath. The wonder in Pancake Cookie's eyes at the mere mention of an Acorn Jelly was magical to Herb Cookie.

When the two of them approached the register of the shop, Herb Cookie asked Pancake Cookie to wait, then ducked and disappeared behind the desk under the register. Pancake Cookie waited eagerly on the other side, the sweet taste of a dried Acorn Jelly already making his mouth water.

"Hey, Pancake, come over to this side for a second! I need your help. I can't find the Acorn Jelly."

Pancake Cookie gasped and rushed to Herb Cookie's side. When he got close, however, he burst with giggles. Herb Cookie was holding a dried Acorn Jelly with one hand and teasingly rubbing his chin in thought with the other, looking at the inside of the desk with intense concentration.

"Do you see it in here, Pancake? I can't find it."

"Herbyyyyyy, don't be silly!"

"What do you mean, Pancake?"

"Look at your hand!"

"My hand?" Herb Cookie asked, deliberately raising his empty hand. "There's nothing in it."

"Your other hand!"

Herb Cookie finally looked at the hand holding the dried Acorn Jelly and then gasped.

"Ooooh, there it is! Thank you, Pancake! Here, why don't you take it for helping me find it?"

"YAAAAY!"

Pancake Cookie had the biggest smile on his face as he greedily gobbled up the dried Acorn Jelly. When he finished, he licked his lips and exhaled as if he had just finished a huge meal.

"Thank you, Herby!"

"You're welcome, Pancake. But you kind of ate that Jelly so quickly… how about some more? You should try eating them slower this time so you can really enjoy them," Herb Cookie suggested as he pulled out a whole crate of dried Acorn Jellies from the desk. Pancake Cookie's eyes glittered, and his cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. He thanked Herb Cookie again with a friendly pounce, then sat down on the floor and began munching away. Herb Cookie figured he wouldn't be able to get Pancake Cookie to move from his spot no matter how hard he tried, so he simply sat down in a comfortable position and supervised Pancake Cookie. Not wanting to seem awkward, though, and to help Pancake Cookie pace his eating, Herb Cookie started a new conversation.

"So, how are things between you and Roll Cake? Are you two doing alright?"

Pancake Cookie nodded, saying words between bites of Jellies. "Bro and I get along great! I love playing with him. But sometimes he doesn't want to play with me, and I don't really know why. Sometimes he just goes outside for a long time and doesn't come home until my bedtime. But when he does play with me, it's fun! He lets me ride with him in his road roller sometimes! It's so cool!"

"I see… Does him not wanting to play with you make you sad, Pancake?"

Pancake Cookie paused for a second as if lost in thought, then went back to eating.

"A little bit! But that's okay. Cream Puff likes to play with me sometimes! She does magic tricks! She's so cool! The other day, she showed me how to make Jellies out of thin air! I wanted her to make Acorn Jellies, but she can't do that yet."

"It sounds like you have good friends."

"Yeah! I have you, and Cream Puff, and Angel, and Gumball!"

"What about your brother? Does he have friends?"

Pancake Cookie set down his Acorn Jelly and tried counting on his fingers.

"Let's see… Kiwi is his best friend. And there's…"

Nobody else came to mind.

"Just Kiwi Cookie. But Kiwi is his best friend! Bro and Kiwi always play together and make each other happy!"

"I'm glad he has a good friend too."

"Yeah! I just wish he would play with me more. But I know he has a friend, and he should play with his friends too! That's what friends are for!"

"Does Roll Cake ever seem sad to you, Pancake?"

"No. I don't think bro gets sad. But sometimes he does get angry."

"What makes you say that?"

"Sometimes he comes home and he just throws his hammer down and goes upstairs without saying 'hi' to me, and if I do try to talk to him, he just says something really quick to me and then walks into his room and shuts the door and doesn't come out until way later."

"It sounds like he's having a hard time lately."

"Bro? Having a hard time? I don't want him to be sad," Pancake Cookie frowned. "I want bro to be happy!"

"You're a good brother, Pancake," Herb Cookie smiled at him. "But many Cookies have noticed that Roll Cake has some problems that he needs help with. That might be what's making him so angry lately."

"What? Cookies think bro has problems? What kind of problems?"

"Well, Pancake, it's like… it's kind of like what happens when a plant doesn't get enough water or sunlight. Here, follow me. I'll show you what I mean," Herb Cookie said before standing up and offering a hand out to Pancake Cookie. Pancake Cookie reluctantly set down his Acorn Jelly and grabbed Herb Cookie's hand again. Just in case Pancake Cookie wasn't finished, Herb Cookie brought along the crate of dried Acorn Jellies and kept them under his arm while walking with Pancake Cookie.

Following Herb Cookie's lead, Pancake Cookie walked over to a shelf where Herb Cookie had left two plants. One of the plants had beautiful red flowers that caught Pancake Cookie's attention, but the other one seemed… sad. That was the only way Pancake Cookie could describe it. It wasn't standing as tall as the other plant and was starting to bend over on one side, and it didn't have flowers. Pancake Cookie wished he could give it a hug, as if it would cheer it up somehow.

Herb Cookie set down the crate of Acorn Jellies next to Pancake Cookie after letting go of his hand and then got down the plant with flowers, bring it close to Pancake Cookie. Pancake Cookie gazed at it in awe while getting his Acorn Jelly from the crate and nibbling at it again.

"Do you see this plant, Pancake? What do you think of it?"

"It's so pretty! You raised it so well, Herby!"

Herb Cookie laughed. "Thank you, Pancake, but it wasn't me alone who raised it. I had help from Mr. Sun and Mr. Rain. With their help, this plant grew and produced these beautiful flowers. Don't they make you feel happy?"

Pancake Cookie nodded. "Yeah!"

Herb Cookie then replaced the plant back onto its spot on the shelf and brought down the withered plant. Pancake Cookie gently patted the top of the plant when Herb Cookie brought it close to him.

"What about _this _plant?"

"It makes me sad. It looks like it's sad."

"I guess you could say it is. This plant didn't get enough attention from Mr. Sun and Mr. Rain, and so it is sad. I'm trying to help it feel better, but it's going to take some time."

Pancake Cookie smiled a bit. "You can do it, Herby! Please help the plant."

"I'll try my best. You know what?"

"What?"

"This plant is the same kind of plant as the plant with the flowers."

"Really? The same kind?"

"Yes. If Mr. Sun and Mr. Rain had given it the same amount of attention as the plant with flowers, it would have made beautiful flowers too."

Pancake Cookie looked at the withered plant now with determination in his eyes.

"YOU CAN DO IT, PLANTY! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

Herb Cookie patted Pancake Cookie's head. "It's trying its best. But Pancake, the reason I showed you these plants is so you can understand what I'm about to tell you. Pretend you are the plant with flowers and that your brother is the plant I'm holding right now. Can you do that?"

"You want me to play-pretend as a plant?" Pancake Cookie asked, standing erect and spreading his arms out as if they were petals. Herb Cookie shook his head and laughed again.

"No, Pancake. I just want you to compare yourself to the plant with flowers and compare your brother with the plant I'm holding. Do you see that you, like the plant with flowers, are loved by those who see you, and you are energetic and happy?"

Pancake Cookie took a moment to process Herb Cookie's words, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Then do you see how your brother is not as happy and energetic and seems to make others sad or upset when they see him, like the plant I'm holding?"

"He doesn't make _me_ sad!"

"You said he makes you sad when he won't play with you."

"That's only sometimes!"

"Okay. But when many Cookies see your brother, they feel sorry for him or get upset around him because he can be… loud."

"That's just how he is!"

"I know, Pancake. But do you understand what I'm saying by comparing him to this plant here when it comes to how Cookies _other_ than you see him?"

Pancake Cookie crossed his arms and huffed. "I guess."

"Then, Pancake, listen to this. Mr. Sun and Mr. Rain for us Cookies is more like Mr. Love and Mr. Care. If a Cookie doesn't get enough love and care from other Cookies, then they will start to feel sad - just like this plant does because it didn't get enough sunlight and water. You were given love and care by your brother from the beginning, and you get love and care from your friends now too because they all think you're cute and like having you around. Your brother, on the other hand, doesn't have many friends, and so he doesn't get as much love and care from other Cookies, and that probably makes him sad or upset. Do you see what I mean?"

Pancake Cookie frowned and kicked at the ground. "But I don't want bro to be sad… I love and care about him… Isn't that enough?"

Herb Cookie put his free hand on Pancake Cookie's shoulder. "Your love and care must mean the world to him, Pancake, but sometimes Cookies need love and care from more than just one Cookie."

"What about Kiwi? Kiwi loves bro!"

"Even two Cookies isn't usually enough. A Cookie needs to have many friends to be happy."

"Then what am I gonna do, Herby?" Pancake Cookie said with a frown. "I don't want bro to be sad!"

"I think the best thing you can do for Roll Cake is continue showing him you love him and being there for him. That's the first step, Pancake. Can you do that?"

Pancake Cookie nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"In the meantime, you could try introducing your friends to Roll Cake too. The more friends he has, the more love and care he'll get. Do you see what I mean?"

Pancake Cookie's smile was slowly returning to his face. "Yeah! I can try that!"

"Good," Herb Cookie smiled. "Now, go ahead and eat your Jellies. I'm sorry I got serious there, buddy."

"It's okay, Herby! Thank you! I'm gonna make bro happy, and no one can stop me!" Pancake Cookie declared before crawling up onto the shelf with the flowering plant on it and striking a dramatic victory pose. Herb Cookie clapped and then helped him back down from the shelf.

* * *

When Roll Cake Cookie stopped by to pick up Pancake Cookie later, Pancake Cookie immediately greeted him with a hug.

"BRO! YOU'RE HERE!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here," Roll Cake Cookie said before lazily rubbing Pancake Cookie's head, then looked over to Herb Cookie. "Thanks for watching the little guy for me."

"Of course," Herb Cookie replied with a smile.

Suddenly, Pancake Cookie gasped.

"BRO! DO YOU KNOW HERBY?"

"I guess so?"

"HERBY! COME PLAY WITH MY BRO!"  
Herb Cookie chuckled while Roll Cake Cookie stood there confused, his little brother excitedly tugging at his hand.

"I'm not sure if Roll Cake would like playing with me, Pancake, but I can certainly try."

"Thank you, Herby!" Pancake said before looking up at his brother again. "BRO! We're going to make you some new friends!"

Roll Cake Cookie didn't really understand what was going on, but he went along with Pancake Cookie nonetheless.

"Well, uh… you like plants, right, Herb? You got any cool ones?"

"Hm… How would you like to see plants that can move and eat flies?"

"WHAT?" Pancake exclaimed with glee, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Sure," Roll Cake Cookie shrugged and rested his hammer on his shoulder. "Sounds neat."

And so the brothers spent the rest of their day following Herb Cookie around the shop, listening to him talk about all kinds of plants while Pancake Cookie eagerly clung to his big brother's legs. It only took an hour or so for Pancake Cookie to begin dozing off (it was very late by the time Roll Cake Cookie came to pick him up), and so Roll Cake Cookie bid Herb Cookie goodnight and took Pancake Cookie home.

Later at home, as Pancake Cookie was about to drift off to sleep after being tucked in by Roll Cake Cookie, he faintly heard the sound of his brother talking on the phone with someone.

"Kiwi! You are not gonna believe the crazy stuff I saw at Herb's shop today!"

Pancake Cookie fell asleep with a smile and had sweet dreams of Acorn Jellies and playtime with his brother the whole night thereafter.


End file.
